Gameplay
A major departure for the Resident Evil games this time around is that Outbreak features multiplayer gaming for the first time in the series. No longer will you have to run around on your own, trying to solve puzzles and defend yourself from the never-ending zombie menace. This is a major attraction for fans of the series, to be able to get online and smash skulls with like-minded individuals.
A key feature in the series has been the continuing plotline that runs through each game and into the next, which is to be commended as it makes you want to see how things turn out, just like a series spanning several books. Much of the game play in previous games has been story driven with twisting plots to keep you engrossed and playing right through to the end. Considering that Outbreak is aiming at an online market as well, Capcom have had to cut the plot out to some extent to allow for a decent online game. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting ¾ of the way through a game and have to start again when other players all quit out. To avoid this, the game is broken up into five shorter sub-plots. The idea here is that they are played in sequence and give an overall story, though, to be honest, you could play them in any order and still understand what is going on. There are few points where something from a previously completed section impacts upon the later ones. What might have been better is to have had a central ‘hub’ where you could decide which way and story to take.
Each game starts in a bar just as the zombie attack kicks off. You character is trapped there with several others and it’s up to you to figure out what to do to avoid getting eaten and how to keep your team-mates alive. Later levels in the game see you in a burning hotel, a hospital (no Milla lying on the table, sorry) and even at the Umbrella Corp itself as you puzzle and battle your way through the story. It has to be said that there is precious little story telling going on here, so for a fair proportion of the time you’ll either be wandering around and then just taking the only route you can find to advance through the game or hunting previously visited locations looking for a missed clue. The story driven game play from the previous games isn’t nearly as evident here, which does sometimes leave you wondering what exactly it is that you’re trying to do.
What Outbreak is lacking in plot and direction, it makes up for in variety. This time round you get a choice of eight different characters to play, each one with their own special ability. The policeman, for example, starts off with a gun from the off, so you can blast away from the word go. There’s a train driver who rarely gets attacked and can play dead if he needs to, a reporter who can pick locks and so on. You’ll find that you have to play with each of the characters for a while to find one you like and that suits your playing style.
The different characters also add a re-play factor to the game as once you’ve completed it as one person, you can go back and have another crack as someone else. Though this might sound a touch obsessive, it’s actually worth giving it a go as some characters can access areas others can’t. Personally, I found the cop, the train driver and the journo to be the most rewarding to play.
